Vertical Irrigation System - second variation

Installation of an autonomous irrigation system can bring barren places in the city back to life, with no tending needed after installation.

Moss panel with irrigation system

David de Buyser's project Acoustic Mirror_Moss, subsidized by the Flemish Community, brings
technology and biology together in several ways. First, the project’s longterm
goal is an installation that uses vertical moss carpets for the projection of computer-generated
images. The cultivation phase, however, features several subprojects that also
forge interesting relationships between technology and biology. For instance, David
recently developed a MAX/MSP-driven irrigation system to provide a constant
supply of water to the moss in the installation at the Visual Arts Academy in Anderlecht.

The
next steps in the development of the overarching project will be:

1) Linking the water
supply to the moisture of the moss carpet – to do this, David will measure the
moss carpets’ conductivity (a measure of moisture) using sensors and link this
to his MAX irrigation patch in order to continuously provide the moss with the ideal
level of moisture. (A self-supporting water-circulation system will prevent water spillage.)

2) Generating the
energy necessary for the irrigation system using solar panels, which will allow
the irrigation system to function completely autonomously.

Aside from these
steps’ purpose in the overarching project, the development of such an autonomous
irrigation system is artistically relevant in its own right. With a system based
on DIY materials (such as Arduino) and methods and making these available as
open source, the irrigation subproject comprises an urban gardening strategy. This
isn’t guerrilla gardening but guerrilla irrigation! Installation of such an autonomous
irrigation system can bring barren places in the city back to life, with no tending
needed after installation; it can also be used in support of urban and community
gardens. The project thus deploys DIY technology to help urban flora flourish.